Jets hire Hackett for offense
Ex-broncos coach also worked with Rodgers, Packers
The New York Jets have their new offensive play caller. Next up: finding their quarterback.
Former Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett was hired Thursday as the Jets’ offensive coordinator to replace Mike Lafleur after coach Robert Saleh interviewed more than 15 candidates for the vacancy during the last two weeks.
“When it came back to a certain checklist that I was trying to go through,” Saleh said during a video call, “just checking boxes with regard to what we were looking for from this next offensive coordinator, we just kept circling back to him.
“He checks every box that we’re looking for.”
The hiring of the 43-yearold Hackett fuels speculation about whether the Jets could pursue Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose playing future is
uncertain. Hackett and Rodgers have a connection: Hackett served as the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2019-21 with Rodgers as the quarterback.
Rodgers said recently during his weekly appearance on “The Pat Mcafee Show” on Siriusxm and Youtube he believes he can still play at an Mvp-type level in the right situation. But the four-time MVP hasn’t decided whether to return to the Packers, retire or request a trade.
Saleh said during the interview process that he and Hackett didn’t discuss specific quarterbacks.
Bills: Buffalo fired safeties coach Jim Salgado, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. ESPN.COM first reported the firing. Salgado just completed his sixth season with Buffalo, and his first coaching safeties.
Panthers: Carolina agreed to terms with Frank Reich to become its new head coach. The 61-yearold Reich joins the Panthers after spending the past four-plus seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, where he went 40-33-1 as head coach before being fired on Nov. 7 after a 3-5-1 start. The Colts went to the playoffs twice as a wild-card team under Reich, going 1-2 in the postseason. For Reich, the hire represents a return to Carolina, where he spent one season as the team’s quarterback and started the franchise’s inaugural game in 1995.
Cowboys:
Dallas is not renewing the contracts of six members of coach Mike Mccarthy’s staff, including senior assistants Rob Davis and George Edwards. The club announced the moves four days after a 19-12 loss to San Francisco that extended Dallas’ losing streak in the divisional round to seven games, the longest since the 1970 merger. The other assistants on expiring contracts who won’t return are offensive line coach and former Miami head coach Joe Philbin, running backs coach Skip Peete, assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett and quality control analyst Kyle Valero.
Obituary: Outside linebacker Jessie Lemonier, who appeared in seven games for the Detroit Lions in 2021 in a brief NFL career highlighted by a sack of Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, has died. He was 25. The Lions disclosed his death in a statement, adding they confirmed it with his family. They did not provide any details.
Players’ Coalition: The NFL is expanding its partnership with the Players Coalition to address issues of racial and social justice with a five-year extension and a $15 million grant through its Inspire Change initiative. The agreement comes as the league and its teams say they have surpassed a $250 million commitment to combat systemic racism. The NFL says that goal was reached four years ahead of schedule. The NFL’S social justice grants have supported more than 650 local nonprofits, nearly 2,000 matching grants from current and former players and more than 40 national grant partners. The Players Coalition is an independent nonprofit aimed at social justice and racial equity. The group works with 1,400 pro athletes, coaches and owners across sports leagues.